Migrant camp on Chios finally dismantled

The contentious migrant camp of Souda on the island of Chios has been completely dismantled with the last tent brought down after all refugees there were finally relocated.

The camp was set up near Chios town centre, in the area that used to be the Byzantine castles, but was notorious for lack of basic amenities with nearly 2,000 individuals squeezed in its confines by 2015.

Despite the outcry, it took a long time to complete its closure, “The support of the police, the port authorities, the High Commissioner (of Refugees at the UN), volunteering compatriots, the European Commission and certain services of the Migration Policy ministry were instrumental (for its closure). The patience of the area’s residents was endless,” said Chios Mayor Manolis Vournous.

However, Vournous warned, “The problem of inadequate management of the migration issue by the central authority remains, and the repercussions on islands and their residents are dramatic.”